WASHINGTON (November 12, 2003) -- Tucked away in the defense authorization bill passed this afternoon by the U.S. Senate were Bush administration-sponsored provisions exempting the Defense Department from complying with the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Below is a statement by Karen Wayland, acting legislative director for NRDC (the Natural Resources Defense Council).

"The Congress has served as a willing accomplice to the Bush administration's shameful exploitation of national security as an excuse to sacrifice our natural heritage.

"The Pentagon's ability to field the world's most powerful military while complying with America's environment were not in conflict until the Bush administration came along. Exempting the Pentagon from these laws will allow the military to threaten whales, dolphins and other marine mammals with sonar and underwater explosives, and destroy the habitat of the endangered birds and mammals that live on the 25 million acres it controls across the country -- with next to no environmental review.

"An overwhelming majority of Americans believe the Pentagon should comply with our environmental laws. No government agency should be above the law, especially those that protect America's air and water, public health, and endangered wildlife."

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, non-profit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has more than 550,000 members nationwide, served from offices in New York, Washington, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

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